Vehicle spring



March 27, 1934. slMNlNG 1,952,292

VEHICLE SPRING Filed NOV. 25. 1-932 W2 M /6 6 i w Ema/"tor Patented Mar.27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I t 1,952,292 V v V VEHICLE SPRINGRoy B. Simning, Minneapolis, Minm, assignor to Kynes Company,Minneapolis, Minn., a firm composed of Clement E Nelson, George G,Kysor, and Roy B. Simning Application November 25, 1932, Serial No.644,310

3 Claims.

This invention relates to vehicle springs and has special reference to acompound spring assembly particularly adapted for use on a drop .axleunit.

The principal object is to produce a more practical and dependabledevice of this character than heretofore known.

Another object is to produce such a device .whereby no pivotalconnections of the springs are employed.

Still another object is to produce a more simple and practical form ofspring securing means than heretofore known both within the shackles -atthe ends of the springs and centrally thereof.

like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the springs as assembled showing all ofthe connections therewith in section; and Figure 2 is a vertical sectionon the line 2--2, Figure 1.

1 represents the stub axle, on the outer end of which is mounted thesingle or dual wheel assembly as preferred, and which axle is rigidlyfixed preferably as by shrinking within the unitary metal wheel block orbracket 2. This wheel block is made as narrow as practical and ofsuflicient length to properly support the springs one above and onebelow the axle connection and also the transverse drop axle 3, the endsof which I prefer to have fixed as by shrinking within the lowerextremities thereof.

The springs 4. and 5 are of the common multiple leaf type except as totheir end connections within the chassis supporting blocks or brackets 6and '7. These blocks are preferably of rectangular form and attached inany desired manner to the chassis frame, each being provided with arectangular notch or recess for reception of the ends of the spring, andin each notch or recess is installed a removable block, the ones for theends of the lowermost spring being illustrated at 8 and 9 and the onesfor the ends of the uppermost spring being shown at 10 and 11. Each ofthese blocks is held in position by a suitable bolt shown at 12 and theblocks 8 and 10 are stepped or notched in such a manner as to fairlysnugly receive the bent down ends 13 and 14 of the second leaf,preferably, of the upper and lower springs respectively; that is, whenthe blocks 8 and 10 are drawn up tightly within their. respectiverecesses: while the blocks 9 and 11 at the opposite ends of the springsare stepped in such a manner as to provide room for free longitudinalmovement of the springs, that is to a limited degree, and such space isclearly indicated at 15. This, as is obvious, provides ample end playI01 s the springs and obviates the necessity of a rockable shaft such ascommonly used.

The transverse openings in the wheel block 2 are of such a size as tosnugly fit the springs with the exception as to the depth of saidsprings, they being sufficiently greater than the height of the springsto permit in respect to the upper spring 5 of the insertion of the twinwedges 16 and in respect to the lower spring 4 the twin wedges 17; inthe latter instance they being below the spring and in the former beingabove the same; though either of the twin wedges may be located above orbelow its respective spring as circumstances require and functionequally well.

Now each pair of these wedges is held together m. by a through bolt 18which is of the proper length 78 and provided with suitable nuts on oneor both ends so that after being slipped in place in their contractedrelation they may be drawn up and expanded by tightening of the bolt andthus insure a secure holding of the leaves of the springs together andthe springs in the block, they, of course, each being provided with asuitable central tit or small through bolt, not shown, if desired.

In the preferred arrangement of assembly of these springs it isconsidered desirable to so space the openings in the vehicle brackets 6and 7 that the normal weight of the vehicle chassis will rest upon thelower or service spring with but little or no stress upon the upper, orwhat may be termed the helper spring, so that as the load is increased,or vertical shock is experienced to the normal load, the helper springwill satisfactorily function in taking its portion of the stress.

Characteristicsof this novel assembly may be enumerated as follows:

1st. The twin wedging of the springs within the unitary wheel block orbracket.

2nd. The union of both of the axles within the block as by shrinking.

3rd. The holding of one pair of ends of the springs against longitudinalmovement and providing for freedom of such action at the opposite ends.

4th. Ample provision for strength of the spring ends against torsionalmovement and freedom from distortion as occurs when shackle eyes areformed therein and providing two leaves instead :5 of one for takingsuch stress. 110

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. A compound vehicle spring of the type described comprising a pair ofleaf springs held in spaced relation one to another, fixed brackets atthe opposite ends of the compound spring into which the opposite ends ofthe leaf springs extend, blocks for securely holding one pair of saidends in one of said brackets, and blocks for securely holding theopposite pair of ends in the other bracket but permitting somelongitudinal movement of said springs therein.

2. A compound vehicle spring of the class described including a pair ofleaf springs having bent ends and held in spaced relation to each other,a fixed bracket having openings therein at either end of said leafsprings into which said ends extend, means for securing said bent endsin said openings, said means permitting longitudinal movement of one endof said springs to compensate for the spring action thereof.

3. A drop axle assembly for vehicles comprising a unitary wheelsupporting block, a pair of springs rigidly held in spaced relationwithin said block, a wheel supporting stub axle extending laterally fromsaid block, intermediate of said springs, a drop axle extending from theblock in the opposite direction to said stub axle and beneath thesprings, and means comprising unitary blocks for connecting the ends ofthe springs to a vehicle chassis.

ROY B. SIMNING.

